The invention relates to an apparatus for aligning notes of value during the transport along a transport path, for example within an automated teller machine or an automatic cash safe or a cash register system. The note of value can in particular be a banknote or a check, which shall for example be fed to a receiving area of a box for storing notes of value or shall be removed therefrom. The apparatus includes at least one transport element for transporting the note of value along the transport path. The transport element is driven by at least one first drive unit. The apparatus further comprises at least one counter-pressure element arranged opposite to the transport element. The transport element can in particular be a roller, a drum, or a band.
In value note machines, such as automated teller machines, automatic cash safes as well as machines for the output and/or input of vouchers and tickets, notes of value to be input are transported from an input compartment into a receiving area and/or notes of value to be output are transported from a receiving area to an output compartment. The receiving area can be provided by a transport box for storing and for transporting the notes of value. To achieve a value note throughput that is as high as possible during the transport of the notes of value and to avoid disturbances resulting from value note jams, so-called paper jams, the usually rectangular notes of value are oriented with their longitudinal axis transversely to the transport direction. Such an orientation is also referred to as long-side first orientation. The risk of a paper jam is particularly high in the case of used notes of value since the stiffness of such notes of value decreases with use and contaminations of the surface of the notes of value increase. Especially in the case of such used notes of value, a skewed feed or skewed pull of the notes of value during transport may occur. As a result, the notes of value can have a lateral offset or an angular offset with respect to a desired target position so that these should be aligned.
An apparatus for aligning notes of value is for example known from document DE 10 2004 060 191 A1. In this apparatus, lateral guiding elements, as used for example for aligning and guiding single sheets in printers or copiers, are dispensed with. In the case of notes of value, the use of lateral guiding elements would result in a misalignment and/or a disturbance as a result of a paper jam due to the different stiffnesses and the different edge qualities of notes of value. Further apparatuses for aligning notes of value are known from documents DE 10 2008 050 534 A1, DE 10 2008 038 771 A1, DE 10 2011 000 783 A1 and DE 102 03 177 C1.
It is the object of the invention to specify an apparatus for aligning a note of value, by which at least a lateral offset of the note of value can be corrected easily during its transport along the transport path.
This object is solved by an apparatus for aligning at least one note of value along a transport path having the features of claim 1. Advantageous developments of the invention are specified in the dependent claims.
In the apparatus for aligning at least one note of value along a transport path having the features of claim 1, the counter-pressure element is designed in a ball-shaped manner and is mounted in a freely rotatable manner as compared to the known prior art. Further, a second drive unit for displacing the transport element arranged opposite to the ball-shaped counter-pressure element along its axis of rotation is provided so that a note of value arranged between the transport element and the counter-pressure element is moved transversely to the transport direction upon displacement of the transport element. When the note of value is additionally moved in transport direction or in opposite transport direction by way of a drive by the first drive unit, the note of value is transported obliquely to the transport direction when the second drive unit is simultaneously activated so that a lateral offset is generated. As a result, a very compact and robust structure of the apparatus is possible. The inventive apparatus can alternatively or additionally be used in apparatuses for handling notes of value, such as automated teller machines, automatic cash safes, ticket machines, or cash register systems.
In an advantageous development, the first drive unit drives the transport element via at least one drive shaft. As a result, an easy drive of the transport element is possible. Further, the transport element can easily be displaced together with or on the drive shaft by the second drive unit.
In a further advantageous embodiment of the invention, the ball-shaped counter-pressure element presses a note of value arranged between the transport element and the counter-pressure element against the circumferential surface of the transport element. As a result, the transport element can be arranged at a distance that is constant with respect to a transport plane of the transport path so that the transport element itself does not exert a force on a note of value arranged between the transport element and a counter-pressure element orthogonally to the transport plane, whereas the counter-pressure element exerts a force on the note of value in the direction of the transport element. This press-on force substantially extends orthogonally or obliquely to the transport plane. As a result, a simple and robust structure of the apparatus is possible.
Further, it is advantageous when during a rotation of the transport element using a drive by the first drive unit the second drive unit displaces the transport element so that the transport of the note of value takes place obliquely to the transport direction. Thus, the note of value is simultaneously displaced transversely to the transport direction and transported in transport direction. As a result, the note of value is continuously moved in transport direction T1 independent of whether a transport of the note of value transversely to the transport direction for reducing or correcting a lateral offset of the note of value in transport direction takes place or not. Thus, the note of value runs through the apparatus in the same period of time, independent of whether the note of value is moved transversely to the transport direction or not during the transport through the apparatus by the second drive unit.
Further, it is advantageous when the transport element is connected to at least one drive shaft in a rotationally fixed manner and is axially displaceable thereon. As a result, an easy drive of the transport element at the same rotational speed at which also the drive shaft is driven takes place. By the axial displaceability of the transport element on the drive shaft, the transport element can be displaced easily transversely to the transport direction by the second drive unit. As a result, a simple and compact structure of the apparatus is achieved.
It is particularly advantageous when the transport element comprises at least one roller pair, the rollers of which are connected via a connecting element with circumferential toothing in the manner of a toothed rack and that the connecting element is arranged displaceably together with the rollers along the axis of rotation of the rollers on at least one drive shaft. As a result, an easy drive of the rollers and a simple force transmission from the second drive unit to the connecting element for displacing the rollers of the roller pair in the direction of their axes of rotation is possible. The circumferential toothing is preferably engaged with a gearwheel that is drivable by the second drive unit. The second drive unit is preferably an electric motor, in particular a stepper motor. As a result, an easy drive and a simple force transmission onto the connecting element for displacing the rollers is possible. In particular, in this way a compact structure of the apparatus is possible.
Here, it is particularly advantageous when the toothing of the gearwheel is engaged with the circumferential toothing of the connecting element so that in the case of a rotation of the gearwheel caused by the second drive unit the transport element on the drive shaft is displaced axially. As a result, the rollers of the roller pair or the transport element can be displaced easily along their axes of rotation on the drive shaft.
Further, it is advantageous when the transport path of the notes of value is delimited by a first guide element and by a second guide element, wherein the first guide element is arranged opposite to the second guide element such that it is pivotable from an operating position into a maintenance position. As a result, during the transport of the notes of value through the apparatus the notes of value are guided by the guide elements. Further, in the case of a paper jam or for maintenance purposes a simple access to the transport path and the transport elements is possible.
In other embodiments, the guide elements can also be arranged such that they are not pivotable relative to each other.
In a further advantageous embodiment, at least two ball-shaped counter-pressure elements are provided, which are respectively preferably arranged opposite to a roller of a driven roller pair serving as a transport element. Here, it is advantageous when the first ball-shaped counter-pressure element is arranged freely rotatable in a first bearing unit and when the second ball-shaped counter-pressure element is freely rotatably in a second bearing unit. The bearing units can be connected pivotably with the first guide element, wherein the first ball-shaped counter-pressure element projects through an opening of the first bearing unit which is preferably dimensioned such that the first ball-shaped counter-pressure element cannot completely be moved through the opening. Further, it is advantageous when the second ball-shaped counter-pressure element projects through an opening of the second bearing unit, which is preferably dimensioned such that the second ball-shaped counter-pressure element cannot completely be moved through the opening. As a result, it is achieved that the balls serving as a counter-pressure element cannot fall out of the bearing units when the counter-pressure elements are lifted from the opposite transport element or from the opposite rollers of the roller pair. In the bearing unit, bearing bushes can be provided in which the balls of the ball-shaped counter-pressure elements are mounted in a freely rotatable manner.
In a further advantageous embodiment, the apparatus comprises at least one elastically deformable element, which generates a press-on force of the ball-shaped counter-pressure element on a note of value arranged between the transport element and the counter-pressure element. As a result, it is easily possible to exert a desired press-on force on the ball-shaped counter-pressure element and thus on a note of value arranged between the counter-pressure element and the transport element.
In a further embodiment, it is advantageous when the transport element comprises a first roller and a second roller, wherein the first roller is arranged on a first drive shaft in a rotationally fixed manner and is axially displaceable along the longitudinal axis of the first drive shaft and when the second roller is arranged on a second drive shaft in a rotationally fixed manner and is axially displaceable along the longitudinal axis of the second drive shaft. The first drive shaft is drivable by the first drive unit. The second drive shaft is drivable by a third drive shaft. The first roller and the second roller are coupled to each other via a connecting element such that they are displaceable together with the connecting element along the axis of rotation of the rollers or along the central axis of the first drive shaft and the second drive shaft. The connecting element preferably has a circumferential toothing in the manner of a toothed rack. At least one of the rollers is arranged so as to be freely rotatable with respect to the connecting element so that the rollers are drivable at different rotational speeds. The first drive unit and the third drive unit can be controlled such that they have different rotational speeds so that in the case of different rotational speeds a rotation of the note of value about an axis of rotation running perpendicular to the transport plane of the transport path takes place. As a result, also an angular offset with respect to a target position can be corrected or at least reduced simultaneously to a lateral offset.
In a further advantageous embodiment, the apparatus has a banknote reader, which detects the position of the note of value. Based on the detected position, the banknote reader or a control unit determines a lateral offset with respect to a preset target position. The alignment of the note of value then takes place in that the second drive unit for moving the transport element is controlled dependent on the determined lateral offset such that the lateral offset is reduced or corrected. As a result, an easy detection of the lateral offset is possible. Since banknote readers are generally used in automated teller machines for an authenticity check, it is advantageous to use this device already present in the automated teller machine to detect the position of the note of value in order to determine a lateral offset of the note of value based thereon.
In a further advantageous embodiment, the direction of rotation of the transport element can be changed. This in particular takes place by a change of the direction of rotation of the first drive unit. As a result, a bidirectional transport of the notes of value along the transport path in a first transport direction and in a second transport direction opposite to the first transport direction is possible. As a result, it is in particular possible to transport notes of value to be deposited in the first transport direction through the apparatus and notes of value to be dispensed in the second transport direction. Further, it is possible to transport a note of value in the first transport direction through the apparatus and in doing so to perform a first correction of the lateral offset and, given a transport of the same note of value in the second transport direction through the apparatus, to perform a second correction of the lateral offset. As a result, the possibility for correcting a determined lateral offset is further improved.
A second aspect of the invention relates to an arrangement with a first apparatus according to claim 1 or a claim dependent on claim 1 or according to one of the embodiments indicated above and with a second apparatus according to claim 1 or a claim dependent on claim 1 or a development indicated above. The note of value is successively fed to the first apparatus and the second apparatus. In doing so, a first alignment of the note of value can be made by the first apparatus and a second alignment of the note of value can be made by the second apparatus. As a result, a lateral offset that is twice as high can be corrected as compared to arrangements with only one apparatus for correcting a lateral offset of a note of value.
The transport path is preferably limited by several transport elements, of which at least a part is arranged one after the other in transport direction. Further, the transport path can be arranged between a first guide element and a second guide element. In particular, the transport elements can be arranged such and the guide elements can be designed such that the transport plane has a curved or curve-shaped course in transport direction. A note of value transported along the transport path is transported along the transport path such that its face is arranged opposite to a contact area of the first guide element and that its back is arranged opposite to a contact area of the second guide element.
The transport elements can comprise driven and/or non-driven rotating transport rollers, transport bands, and/or drums.
The note of value can in particular be a banknote, a check, a voucher, or a ticket.
Further features and advantages of the invention result from the following description, which explains the invention in more detail in connection with the enclosed Figures on the basis of an embodiment.